diff --git a/lib/zclient.c b/lib/zclient.c
index 5ca5849948..a1e7194890 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.c
+++ b/lib/zclient.c
@@ -4487,11 +4487,9 @@ static int zclient_neigh_ip_read_entry(struct stream *s, struct ipaddr *add)
 	return -1;
 }
 
-int zclient_neigh_ip_encode(struct stream *s,
-			    uint16_t cmd,
-			    union sockunion *in,
-			    union sockunion *out,
-			    struct interface *ifp)
+int zclient_neigh_ip_encode(struct stream *s, uint16_t cmd, union sockunion *in,
+			    union sockunion *out, struct interface *ifp,
+			    int ndm_state)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 
@@ -4506,7 +4504,7 @@ int zclient_neigh_ip_encode(struct stream *s,
 		stream_putc(s, AF_UNSPEC);
 	stream_putl(s, ifp->ifindex);
 	if (out)
-		stream_putl(s, ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_REACHABLE);
+		stream_putl(s, ndm_state);
 	else
 		stream_putl(s, ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_FAILED);
 	return ret;
diff --git a/lib/zclient.h b/lib/zclient.h
index a25c5800b7..71187ccae7 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.h
+++ b/lib/zclient.h
@@ -856,9 +856,18 @@ extern struct zclient_options zclient_options_default;
  * ip_in is the underlay IP, ip_out is the tunnel dest
  * index stands for the index of the interface
  * ndm state stands for the NDM value in netlink
+ * (see linux/neighbour.h)
  */
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_INCOMPLETE (0x01)
 #define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_REACHABLE (0x02)
-#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_FAILED    (0x20)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_STALE (0x04)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_DELAY (0x08)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_PROBE (0x10)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_FAILED (0x20)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_NOARP (0x40)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_PERMANENT (0x80)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_NONE (0x00)
+
 struct zapi_neigh_ip {
 	int cmd;
 	struct ipaddr ip_in;
@@ -867,11 +876,9 @@ struct zapi_neigh_ip {
 	uint32_t ndm_state;
 };
 int zclient_neigh_ip_decode(struct stream *s, struct zapi_neigh_ip *api);
-int zclient_neigh_ip_encode(struct stream *s,
-			    uint16_t cmd,
-			    union sockunion *in,
-			    union sockunion *out,
-			    struct interface *ifp);
+int zclient_neigh_ip_encode(struct stream *s, uint16_t cmd, union sockunion *in,
+			    union sockunion *out, struct interface *ifp,
+			    int ndm_state);
 
 /*
  * We reserve the top 4 bits for l2-NHG, everything else
diff --git a/nhrpd/nhrp_route.c b/nhrpd/nhrp_route.c
index ee8db277d9..12a2fc2fa0 100644
--- a/nhrpd/nhrp_route.c
+++ b/nhrpd/nhrp_route.c
@@ -452,7 +452,8 @@ void nhrp_send_zebra_nbr(union sockunion *in,
 	stream_reset(s);
 	zclient_neigh_ip_encode(s, out ? ZEBRA_NEIGH_IP_ADD :
 				ZEBRA_NEIGH_IP_DEL, in, out,
-				ifp);
+				ifp, out ? ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_REACHABLE
+				: ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_FAILED);
 	stream_putw_at(s, 0, stream_get_endp(s));
 	zclient_send_message(zclient);
 }
diff --git a/zebra/rt_netlink.c b/zebra/rt_netlink.c
index 48ccf91ec7..a8b4b54d29 100644
--- a/zebra/rt_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/rt_netlink.c
@@ -3658,6 +3658,15 @@ static void netlink_handle_5549(struct ndmsg *ndm, struct zebra_if *zif,
 #define NUD_LOCAL_ACTIVE                                                 \
 	(NUD_PERMANENT | NUD_NOARP | NUD_REACHABLE)
 
+static int netlink_nbr_entry_state_to_zclient(int nbr_state)
+{
+	/* an exact match is done between
+	 * - netlink neighbor state values: NDM_XXX (see in linux/neighbour.h)
+	 * - zclient neighbor state values: ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_XXX
+	 *  (see in lib/zclient.h)
+	 */
+	return nbr_state;
+}
 static int netlink_ipneigh_change(struct nlmsghdr *h, int len, ns_id_t ns_id)
 {
 	struct ndmsg *ndm;
@@ -3747,8 +3756,10 @@ static int netlink_ipneigh_change(struct nlmsghdr *h, int len, ns_id_t ns_id)
 			       &mac, l2_len);
 		} else
 			sockunion_family(&link_layer_ipv4) = AF_UNSPEC;
-		zsend_nhrp_neighbor_notify(cmd, ifp, &ip, ndm->ndm_state,
-					   &link_layer_ipv4);
+		zsend_nhrp_neighbor_notify(
+			cmd, ifp, &ip,
+			netlink_nbr_entry_state_to_zclient(ndm->ndm_state),
+			&link_layer_ipv4);
 	}
 
 	if (h->nlmsg_type == RTM_GETNEIGH)
diff --git a/zebra/zapi_msg.c b/zebra/zapi_msg.c
index ddd6a74c0b..6666b3525e 100644
--- a/zebra/zapi_msg.c
+++ b/zebra/zapi_msg.c
@@ -997,7 +997,8 @@ void zsend_nhrp_neighbor_notify(int cmd, struct interface *ifp,
 			continue;
 
 		s = stream_new(ZEBRA_MAX_PACKET_SIZ);
-		zclient_neigh_ip_encode(s, cmd, &ip, link_layer_ipv4, ifp);
+		zclient_neigh_ip_encode(s, cmd, &ip, link_layer_ipv4, ifp,
+					ndm_state);
 		stream_putw_at(s, 0, stream_get_endp(s));
 		zserv_send_message(client, s);
 	}